Author Musings and Poetry Interview

Mimi:  As a sometime blogger who basically posts my own short stories, poems, and essays/articles, plus the occasional author interviews, I can count on one hand my few very defining moments and this is one of them. An interview with erotic romance author Sable Hunter.

Where do I start? Sable is one of the few authors who writes in three subgenres of erotic romance: western, contemporary, and paranormal.

Mona:  Also, Sable Hunter has written, as far as I’m aware, around twenty-one books and, if you’re interested in knowing this, she has received over 500 reviews of those books. As you can see, she’s not new at writing…or at being interviewed.

Mimi:  So, what the heck do we ask someone who’s been interviewed as many times as a celebrity? I definitely have a couple of questions based on what I know about Sable. The others are those I ask just out of curiosity. So, let me introduce you to Sable Hunter.

Mimi:  Hi, Sable. Hope your Monday is going better than Sunday. In case anyone wonders what I mean, her computer went tits up on her yesterday.

You know, many people are probably smiling knowing you are on my blog today. Can you tell us a little bit about your current passion? What is your latest book and where can our readers go to buy it?

 Sable:  Thank you, Mimi and Mona. It is a pleasure to be with you. I stopped short when you asked me my current passion, I could give you his name – but, I won’t. Ha!

I love to write. It consumes me.
The marketing is necessary, but I delegate that out as much as possible.
I love to talk to other authors and their readers. I have met some of the dearest friends in my life in this manner, and our paths would never have crossed any other way.
My latest book is FINDING DANDI and you can find it on Amazon. Here is the link, if you’d like to look.

http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Dandi-Cajun-Style-ebook/dp/B00CDBMJJE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1368975273&sr=1-1&keywords=finding+dandi

Mona:  Before we go any further, did you have something you want to tell us about Jess Hunter?

Sable:  Jess is my heart. We are close. We are not only siblings, we are best friends. He is smart, way smarter than me. And he’s deep and philosophical and grounded and sometimes when he talks to me, he makes my head hurt (ha!) because he sees the world so much differently than I do.

Jess is talented in many ways. He is articulate, in person and on paper. I knew he would either be a lawyer, a politician, an actor or a writer. And I’m grateful he decided to be a writer, because the possibilities are endless for him. Jess, like me, is not a 9 to 5 person. We are night owls and our internal clocks don’t function like everyone else. Maybe it’s the New Orleans nightlife, I don’t know.  He loves to work out and he loves video games and superheroes, which all sounds youthful – but he approaches those things with discipline and an insight into how they can make him even a better person. Jess is very considerate of me. No matter where he is, he calls me at 10 pm, because he knows I worry. And he manages me, he edits my work and he keeps me straight – which is no easy task.

Mimi:  Sable, one of the things that people love about you on Facebook is that you are not like many authors who don’t give people with less than 10 friends or followers the time of day. You always seem to reply regularly. How do you stay so grounded in the madcap world of writing and publishing?

Sable:  Well, Mimi, I am alone most of the time. My readers are my friends. I appreciate that they have taken a risk and bought my books. I value their time, their opinions and I enjoy them. I write for myself, but I also feel a connection and a responsibility to those who read my work. I try to respond to everyone and show my appreciation, and I love to learn about my readers and find out what we have in common. After all, I have given them a glimpse into my heart and soul. I pour myself into my books. Whoever reads them gets a good look at me. All of my insecurities, foibles, funny stories, sadness – all of me is poured into the books. So, they know me – and I can’t wait to get to know the readers. They are more than customers, they are part of my family.

Mona:  Besides writing and your family, you have been known to take interest in the supernatural and have gone ghost hunting; can you tell us a little bit about those interests and when they started?

Sable:  I have always been interested in the supernatural. It’s considered normal where I’m from. New Orleans is a supernatural place. I’ve said this often, but people on my street would go to mass in the morning and make a mojo bag in the afternoon.
My mother was very psychic, she always knew what I was up to – she even called me three times the night I was trying to lose my virginity – needless to say, I finally turned my phone off. Ha!
But I’m not sensitive like she was, my connection with the spirit world is only through a lens of a camera. I have gotten results – there are things that go bump in the night. I’ve seen them. But I’m not afraid of them, after all, I’ll be a ghost someday. Ha! I long to prove to myself that love exists beyond the grave. I don’t want to cease to exist, I want to live and love again and know that people I care about are never lost to me. They exist. Love exists. That brings me comfort.

Mimi:  Would you like to share what you think about when you are alone in your car?

Sable:  I plot in the car. I don’t listen to music, unlike someone I know (winks at Jess Hunter) – ha! I actually keep a digital recorder in the car and I sometimes dictate or make notes. I’m always looking for people or places to populate my books. I know – I’m boring.

Mimi:  I wouldn’t call that boring unless someone else is in the car with you. Seriously though, it sounds like many authors I know…so, you fall into a great class.

Mimi:  Have you ever wondered how people will communicate in the future and what the role of books will be? How do you want your books to be seen in a future world?

Sable:  Yes, we have discussed the future of books. The ebook, we know, is here to stay. I feel the method and delivery may continue to be refined and redefined, but ease of reading and choice will continue to escalate. I am traditionally published and self-published and I have no qualms against traditional, but we have learned so much in the self-publishing world that I feel there isn’t much that can hold us back. I have tried everything and made every mistake to be made, but I’ve learned a lot along the way.
Doors are open on every hand and opportunities exist now like no other time in history. I’m excited to be part of that movement.

Mona:  Can you tell us something about your ideal readers?

Sable:  Ideal readers are just like the wonderful group Jess and I have. We have a street team and a forum and author pages and through those venues we have met some tremendous people. These people care about us. And they tell us what they think. And when I have a new book or a free day, I only have to mention it and an army of faithful friends take up the cause and help us. They eagerly await new books and if we don’t write fast enough, they urge us on.

Mimi:  It sounds like you have loyal readers and maybe even a few friends?

Sable:  We have places to stay all over the world, I don’t think there are many countries in the world or any states of the union that we don’t have friends who would take us in if we needed help. This community is amazing and we are lucky as heck to be part of it.

Mimi:  As for your writing career, do you find that people remember you as one of your characters or for your first book? Is it hard to break away from that?

Sable:  I created the McCoys, and I get HELL YEAH! all the time on cards, posters – what have you. But that’s a good thing. To create characters that are memorable and well-loved is every author’s goal. I have often told people that if they want to know me, read my books. I am Cooper and Cady and Avery. I love to be mixed up with my heroines and I even slip Sable Hunter in the books every once in a while.
Jess did that – in one scene David is explaining to his best friend that he is in love with Jenna. Blaine thinks it is too quick – way too quick and he says, “What do you think this is, a Sable Hunter novel?”

Mimi:  <Laughing> When you saw that, what did you do?

Sable:  I cracked up.

Mona:  Can you give us an idea of five of your favorite tech gadgets and how do you integrate them into your day to day busy schedules?

JESS:  This is hilarious. Sable can’t even find her glasses. She is tech challenged.

Mona:  For those of you who don’t know, this is Sable’s friend and writing partner, Jess Hunter. So, Sable…really? Is he telling the truth?

Sable:  I have an Iphone and a laptop, and help. I need lots of help. We have two assistants and some other helpers, thank God.
Barb Caruso keeps us straight, she is a genius.
Debbie Workman helps us with scheduling and advertising.
Regina at Heartfeltpromos does a lot of good for us.
Karenne at Coffeetime takes care of our website.
And we have another writing partner, Ryan O’Leary, who helps me with many things.

Mona:  It sounds like you have all the gadgets and that may Jess is right is a teasing way…what with all the help you have. I think it’s great! And, I think you’re a lucky lady.

Mimi:  Sable, do you find it easy to include a message in your erotic books or do you struggle, asking yourself what with the message be this time?

Sable:  The message is central to my stories. I endeavor to write hope into every book. I have used issues from cancer, dyslexia, abuse, prejudice, blindness, you name it. I have received letters thanking me for making the reality of an illness or a condition obvious to others.
One of my favorite topics was the leper colony at Carville, Louisiana and how people who had been condemned there survived and loved. A love story is beautiful, a steamy scene will get your blood flowing, but a story that touches your heart and makes you laugh and cry and care about the book and the characters, that is what I strive for. I want my readers to be glad they read the book and I want the story to stick with them for a long time.

Mimi:  Hey, what absolutely sparks your interest beyond words besides writing (and reading)? What can you tell us about it?

Sable:  I love to play the slot machines. I don’t go often, because my father was a gambler and I’m afraid I have the gene, so I only go about four times a year, but I love it. Jess says when I am old he is going to take me to a parking lot with parking meters and give me a roll of quarters and tell me I’m at the casino.

Mimi:  I think me, along with your readers, are appreciating just how humorous Jess is. Is there anything else that pulls you like a lode stone?

Sable:  I also love to cook, and I cook well, Jess can attest to that.

Mona:  What songs best describes your work ethic?

Sable:  Oh my goodness. I am torn between “Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It’s off to work I go,” because I love what I do and “She Works Hard for Her Money” because I do. It’s both the hardest thing and the most wonderful job imaginable. And I wouldn’t trade it for being the Pope or President or Paris Hilton – ha!

Mimi:  If you could be any literary character, who would you like to be and why?

Sable:  This will sound egotistical, but I’d love to be Savannah in FORGET ME NEVER. I wrote all of my likes and dislikes into the character and I gave her the man I want – or a shadow of him. I tend to do that – I create worlds that I would love to inhabit where right prevails, love conquers all and holding out for a hero is not an impossible dream.

Mimi:  How did Savannah from Forget Me Never grow from the beginning of your novel to the end, or was she a static character?

Sable:  The character – Savannah – learned that she had worth, that she was worthy of love and that she was a helluva lot stronger than she ever gave herself credit for.

Mona:  Sable, just in case anyone here doesn’t know where to find you and your books, would you please share all of your links?

Sable:  Sure! Here’s a list.
Website – http://sablehunter.com/
Author Page – https://www.facebook.com/authorsablehunter
Amazon Author Page – http://www.amazon.com/author/sablehunter

Email – sablehunter@rocketmail.com
TWITTER – @huntersable

Mimi:  Last question. If there were to be any call to action by either of you, what action would you want the new writer to take from your experience as a writer?

Sable:  Do it. If you have talent and determination, there are opportunities. Discipline yourself and do it. Self-publishing is the wave of the future. Quality is still paramount, but authors are in the driver’s seat. We can write, publish, promote – we are the master of our destiny and the captain of our soul – ha!

Mona:  On a scale from one to ten, how would you rate me as an interviewer?  No, I’m just kidding. But, seriously, what would your answer be?

Sable:  THESE ARE THE BEST QUESTIONS I HAVE EVER ANSWERED – BAR NONE!!!!! 
Mona:  Thank you but seriously, I was just teasing.

I just want to say thank you for spending time with us and answering these questions and for letting the readers learn something about you they might not learn on your other blog stops.

Wolske, Mimi. (May 20, 2013). Blog: Hey We’re Interviewing Erotic Romance Author Sable Hunter. Author Musings and Poetry. Retrieved from http://mimiandmona.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/blog-hey-were-interviewing-erotic-romance-author-sable-hunter/

How About Some NOAH Info? DOSHA - Skye Blue!

I’ve been working on Noah’s book, Skye Blue. It’s the next in my Hell Yeah! series and has been much anticipated with my readers for a couple of reasons. First – Noah has been pain in the rear. He is the McCoy who can’t see shades of grey. Everything is black and white to Noah. He’s all business. The numbers always have to add up and he doesn’t cut any of his brothers or their loves much slack. Protect the family, protect the McCoy name, protect the McCoy fortune – that was his mantra. He almost made Jacob lose Jessie and he had a hard time accepting what made Isaac tick. Harper, his girlfriend, desired things that Noah couldn’t handle, so he pushed her away. (Which was okay, there is someone in Louisiana by the name of Revel Lee who has Harper ALWAYS ON HIS MIND – ha!) But Noah is going to have to face the fact that he needs to loosen up. Noah needs a woman who can make him glad he’s a man and show him that there is more than one path to walk, more than one way to make love, and more excitement and passion in this world than he ever realized. Skye is that woman.
As the book opens, Noah is battling his sorrow and anger over Aron’s disappearance. He even has the audacity to wonder if Aron doesn’t want to be found. (WHEW! HUGE SCENE HERE! HA!) The family is tired of Noah and his rigid outlook on life and the only solace he can find is with Skye, who wants him just the way he is and doesn’t mind teaching him how to enjoy life and sex and – — haha – well, I won’t give it all away.
Skye is not the type of woman Noah is used to. Skye is Native American. She is confident. She is strong. She is serene and she is the sexiest thing he has ever seen, held, or touched in his life. She also has a secret that turns both of their lives upside down – - but, I digress. I am fascinated with Skye. I am going to spend time in Broken Bow, Oklahoma in a cabin on the river and I’m going to be Skye for a while. She hunts. She rides bareback. She is one with nature. She holds her arms up to the setting sun and knows she is at peace in the midst of the storm. She is exactly what Noah needs.
I have pattered Skye after an ancestor of mine. I am a mutt, as you know. I am Creole. I have French blood, Spanish blood and Indian blood running through my veins. The Indian part comes from Dosha. She lived in the late 1800’s in the eastern part of Texas known as the Big Thicket. She, like Skye, was strong and determined to take care of her family, even when her husband was too incapacitated to do it for her. You see, my great-great-whatever grandfather was not a McCoy. He was a rascal. A drunkard rascal.
The home he built for Dosha and their child was not the best of dwellings. It was made of logs that were not fitted together well with mud or clay or whatever they used as mortar back in those early Texas pioneer days. And the part of Texas they lived in was a wild wilderness full of predators and snakes and alligators and – yes, Indians. They made their living trapping and living off the land. And somehow, somewhere, great-whatever-grandfather found plenty to drink.
One night, he was passed out drunk and Dosha was caring for their child. The fire that was keeping them from freezing was beginning to die down and the much needed wood to keep it going was out in the dark cold night. She had to have it though, so she put up on her buckskin jacket and prepared to face the elements – until she heard it – a hair-raising scream that tore through the night and caused goosebumps to rise on her body. It was a sound she feared, it was a sound she dreaded. The spine-tingling scream had sounded like a woman in distress, but it wasn’t – it was a panther, a hungry panther. Dosha tried to rousé her worthless husband, but it was no use, he was dead to the world. So, she gathered up her son and held him close – and waited.
The fire was only smoldering now. She listened – waiting for another scream. Nothing. Maybe, the big cat was gone. GRRRRR! No! He wasn’t, he was right outside the cabin wall. RIPPPP!!! Dosha jumped! He was scratching at clawing at the logs. Clasping her baby to her breast, she whimpered in fright. Staring at the blank wall of the cabin, she tried to imagine what the panther was doing just on the other side. Scratches and snarls met her ears and she cringed, but what she saw next, horrified her. She stared in disbelief.
Toes. Claws. She could see the feet of the panther sticking through the cracks of the logs! He was climbing the wall of the cabin! Dosha jumped to her feet. The fire had died down. The beast was intending to come down their chimney like some macabre winter visitor. Laying down her little boy, she raced to the fire and tried to stoke it up, but the embers were too faint. Racing back to the wall, she checked the monster’s progress, he was higher than before. Screaming for her husband, she jostled his dead to the world body, to no avail. So she did the only thing left – running to the small wardrobe, she slung out shirts and pants until she found it – John’s hatchet. He carried it on trips, but he kept it wrapped in a handkerchief when not in use, tools were precious in the wilderness.
Holding the hatchet in her hand, she approached the razor sharp claws and feet of the panther. The front ones were high, the lower ones about at her waist. One jump was all it would take and he would be on the roof. There was no time to waste, so she drew back her arm and struck, cutting off three of the panthers toes as they were bared to her gaze, gripping at the raw pine wood.
A wild, screaming roar rent the night and the panther wailed in agony. But he let go and he jumped down and he raced off into the night to lick his wounds. And Dosha and her son survived to live another day (or Jess and I wouldn’t be here with you now – ha!)
Thank you for reading, I’ll have a cover to share with you soon. I’m enjoying Skye Blue and I hope you will soon. It will be a little while before its released, I’ll give you information when I have it.

Thanks
Sable

Hunter, Sable. (May 16, 2013). Dosha, Contest Winners and a little chat about Noah. Wild and Wicked Cowboys. Retrieved from http://wildandwickedcowboys.wordpress.com/2013/05/16/dosha-contest-winners-and-a-little-chat-about-noah/ 

Finding Dandi Interview on Harlie's Books

Welcome Sable Hunter! Please start off by telling us a little about yourself.

Thank you, Harlie. I wish I was more exciting, I wish I could fly an airplane or that I was the child of a famous actor or something. But I’m not. I’m just the girl next door. I grew up in Louisiana, and spent most of my adult hood in Texas. Now since I write full time, I have the luxury of spending time in both states.

I live a very simple, quiet life. My days are spent writing, although I do go on research trips for my books. Jess spends about three days a week with me and helps manage me. He’s my brother and he writes, too. He just released FOR A HERO the same day that FINDING DANDI came out.

I love to cook and putter around with my flowers. I ghost hunt for a hobby, that’s sorta exciting, I guess. And I love to research esoteric things like hoodoo and herbs and crystals – just for fun.

I love animals. I have cats, my faithful dachshund and I also raise cattle and horses.

I have 22 novels out right now in six series. And I have three works in progress with another 10 plotted to start when their time comes – so I’m having a blast.

Is FINDING DANDI a single title, or part of a series?

FINDING DANDI is part of a series – a part of two series in fact. I have three Cajun books and FINDING DANDI is a direct spin-off of BURNING LOVE. But it also continues the HELL YEAH! series about the McCoy family and friends. It even has a snippet of the WHERE IS ARON ? ongoing mystery.

 What were your inspirations for the story?

There are several elements in this story that I was drawn to write about – I’m fascinated with sex therapists and dealing with Lucas Dane and his occupation was fun. I also wanted to explore the mindset of a girl who had been forced into a phase of the sex industry and Dandi fit that bill. As anyone who reads my books know, I love to take a woman who feels unworthy and have a big, strong, alpha male convince her that she is absolutely perfect – for him.

Please share your setting for FINDING DANDI. Have you ever lived or visited there? If so, what did you like most?   

FINDING DANDI is set in Louisiana, my home state. It starts off in Shreveport, a place I know well and goes to central Arkansas, deep in the Ozarks, also a favorite place of mine. It ends up in South Louisiana and I enjoyed working New Orleans, Lafayette and other local places into the setting. All of the Cajun series have bits of Louisiana folklore and tastes of the bayou in them – I adore sharing what I love with my readers.

 When did the writing bug first bite?

 I have always written, I used to write love stories for my junior high girlfriends and make them personal for them – they loved the spicier parts. But I seriously decided to write after I read Leslie Kelly’s SLOW HANDS – - yum – - I just had to try my hand at going beyond the bedroom door and not only telling a hot story but creating characters and a storyline that would captivate the reader.

Who are you favorite authors, book/series?

Hmmmm – so many. I love Cherise Sinclair’s Masters of the Shadowlands and Leah Brook’s Desire Oklahoma. I like reading those ménage and BDSM books, makes my vanilla existence a bit more exciting – ha!

 If you could have an author roundtable discussion with any authors, who would you invite?

Oh, my goodness! I would love to sit down with Lorelei James, Sarah McCarty, me and Maya Banks. Yea, I’d be starstruck.

 Do you have any hobbies or special things you like to do in your spare time?

Well, yes. I ghost hunt with infrared cameras and digital records. I haunt cemeteries, battlefields and even investigate when people are having problems in their home. I hope to have some footage for fun for a Halloween event – sort of a BLAIRWITCH takeoff – - SABLE AND JESS CHASE SPIRITS or something – haha! 

 What’s the strangest thing you’ve heard or seen?

Oh, my goodness. You’re talking to the wrong person here – because I take strange to a whole new level. In my ghosthunting – I’ve been touched, I’ve heard my name called, I’ve taken photos that show a full-body apparition and once when a cougar was coming onto my property and killing my cats, I walked the perimeter quoting scripture and laying a line of red brick dust – AND HE DIDN’T COME BACK!! HA!

Pink had to butt in, as usual.

Interview Questions from Pink for SABLE

These are my favorite kinds of questions, thank you Harley.

Top ten things you don’t know about me:

1.  Cotton or Silk?

Not even a question, I’m a cotton girl. I live in sundresses or jeans. And I don’t wear socks – ever. Unless it’s those thigh high ones and I’m in a mood – ha!

2.  Champagne/beer/wine?

Ah – neither. I drink margaritas and hard lemonade.

3.  Plotter/pantser

I’m inbetween. I plot, but if my characters have a mind of their own, sometimes, I listen.

4.  Describe your workspace.

I don’t work in an office environment. I work in two places, mainly. My favorite spot is my recliner with my laptop on my tummy and my doxie at my side with a DD Pepper close by and the TV on low for noise.

The other spot is on the porch in my big rocker – same set up.

5.  Sports fan or just tolerate it?

I am a football fan and I don’t just tolerate it. But I only watch certain teams. I love college ball, and I root for the Longhorns and LSU. I’m also a fan of the Patriots and the Saints – (I sometimes root for a team if the quarterback is really good-looking.)

6.  Who is your biggest influence on writing?

Lorelei James, Sarah McCarty, Maya Banks and Lora Leigh are my idols. I have learned the art from them.

7.  Favorite food –

I love cheese – aged cheese – sharp and crumbly.
8.  When did you start writing?

I started writing in 2009 and got my first novel published in 2010. I have 22 out at the moment.

9.  If money were no object, where would you like to live?

I would have a home in Colorado and one in Vermont, I think, perhaps a cottage in the keys, also.
10.  What’s next for you?

I have 3 novels in the works and I’m putting an audio book out in a few weeks. I’m also putting out the Hell Yeah! in a sweeter form with less sex so it will appeal to a broader audience. In a few months, I’m venturing out into another genre – Historical Romance and Paranormal Romance – mainstream, not erotic.

Here are some of my favorite things and other stuff about me  – just for fun:

Elvis Presley

Pumpkin Spice Coffee

Halloween is my favorite holiday

Jewelry made from Opaque stones

I collect paintings of places where my books are set.

I love old-fashioned roses.

I adore fast, foreign type cars. I used to drive a black S-Type Jag and now I drive a Lexus GSF Sport.

I color my hair depending on my mood and I wear extensions sometimes.

I play piano.

I love to play slot machines at the casino.

I don’t like traditional breakfast food for breakfast, I want a muffin or pound cake – but no icing and no chocolate chips.

I like my ice cream plain – no spinkles, cookies or candy. My favorite is Cheesecake or Coffee ice cream.

I have raised a family of skunks and a family of raccoons.

I don’t need to wear a bra – - sadly.

HA!

Where to stalk Sable Hunter

my email is - sablehunter@rocketmail.com

my author page is - https://www.facebook.com/authorsablehunter

my website  is - http://sablehunter.com

** Note this interview was conducted on May 15. The Giveaway is no longer active. **

Pink. (May 15, 2013). Finding Dandi by Sable Hunter - Interview/Giveaway. Harlie's Books. Retrieved from http://www.harliesbooks.com/posts/finding-dandi-by-sable-hunter-interviewgiveaway/ 

Have You Met Jess?

Most of you don't need an introduction, you know my brother from Forget Me Never. He is Jess Hunter of course. Loving little brother of mine has his own book now on Amazon. In conjunction with me of course! 

As some of you may have familiarized yourself with his work already for those of you that didn't have the chance yet, 'For A Hero' released a few weeks ago with Rave Reviews! Throughout most of the Summer you'll be seeing Jess on several blogs, radio shows, and hopefully soon on here as a guest Blogger. You may have noticed the introduction of 'Why We Read' from another friend of mine, but just in case you were wondering we're going to be populating the blog with a lot more posts and hopefully much more as I'd like to liven things up. You know me, can't sit still. 

For A Hero on Amazon

Interview with Sebastian Matthews

Interview with Sebastian Matthews, hero of Friends With Benefits, releasing May 6, 2013.

Me: Sebastian, tell me a little about yourself? What would readers be curious to know about you?

Sebastian: *shrugs a shoulder* I’m just your average man. I spend most of my time at Whipped Dream and I like to pluck at the guitar on occasion.

Me: I’d say you’re anything but the average man. What’s Whipped Dream?

Sebastian: It’s a bakery shop I co-own with Cassie. I make the best cinnamon rolls you’ve ever tasted. You should stop by sometime and take a bite *winks*.

Me: I’d love to. Is Cassie a lover?

Sebastian: *blushes* Cassie’s my best friend.

Me: But I’ve seen that look before. You like her as more than a friend, don’t you?

Sebastian: She’s a beautiful, intelligent woman, but it’s a sticky situation and risky. If we’d take things to the next level, and they don’t work, I could end up losing her.

Me: Well, we don’t want to give too much information away. I do want to ask, you bake and eat your own sweet treats I’m sure, so how do you stay in such great shape?

Sebastian: I do a little running and boxing. Working in the gym is the best stress reliever. These days, I’ve busted my ass over at the gym.

Me: So, why should readers pick up your story.

Sebastian: Haven’t we all wondered once or twice what it’d be like to sleep with a friend? This is a story that’ll show the journey that friends take as they decide their fate. I’ve made some mistakes along the way and didn’t tell her how I felt soon enough. Like most men, eh?

Suffering from years of hopeless romantic notions with sexy, sassy heroines and bad-ass heroes taking residence in her mind, Rhonda decided to write, bringing the stories alive. With baby on hip and laptop on the other, and a couple of years later, Rhonda has published six eBooks with a handful of spicy love stories waiting for the final touches.

When Rhonda isn’t crafting edge-of-your-seat, sizzling novels, you will find her with her children, watching soccer, watching a breathtaking movie, traveling to exotic places, doing (or trying) yoga, and finding new ways to keep her smile bright.

Rhonda thrives on making her readers happy. She believes life can be a challenge, but reading is a place where one goes to get away. Everyone deserves romance—one page at a time…
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Buy link: Lyrical Press | Amazon | iTunes | ARE

Friends With Benefits by Rhonda Lee Carver

Cassie’s admirer hides behind a blindfold…could he be somebody she knows?

Cassandra and Sebastian have been friends since college. They know everything about each other, and even own a restaurant together. Now she has a secret admirer—one who asks her to meet him wearing a blindfold…and nothing else. She complies, mostly, and must rely on how he smells, feels, and sounds when they meet. He seems familiar. Familiar enough to be Sebastian? Surely not. Maybe she’s hoping her admirer is Sebastian. Maybe…

Sebastian has a secret Cassie knows nothing of: He’s in love with her. But telling her could destroy their friendship. So he’s got to sit back and watch as she swoons for this secret admirer who uses all the right romantic words to win her heart.

Can Sebastian step forward and reveal himself? Supposing he dares to let Cassie know he loves her, can their friendship survive if she doesn’t feel the same for him?

CONTENT WARNING: strong language, graphic sex

She no longer heard his footsteps. Her breath caught. The presence of her lover changed the aura of her bedroom. The warmth of the room skyrocketed and a faint scent of cologne reached her nostrils. She frantically searched her mind for the fragrance. She knew the smell, but had no time to process the thought. All logical thinking faded when a deep, raspy growl penetrated the air. A lover’s sound of appreciation.

Knowing he was turned on charged her every nerve. Her breasts became tight. Her insides shuddered. She resisted the overwhelming urge to tear off her mask. Would he run away if she did?

A sliver of vulnerability targeted her senses. Yet, she was excited.

Cassie couldn’t be referred to as innocent. She’d had lovers in the past, but nothing like this. All experience floated out the window as she pondered what she should say, if she said anything at all.

The soft thumping of his shoes echoed off the walls as he moved across her hardwood floor. Sounded like he wore boots. Not cowboy boots, but work boots with rubber soles. Was he a construction worker? Her mind conjured up images of tight T-shirt clinging to a sweaty, toned upper body. Worn jeans cradling tight ass and muscular legs.

The apex of her thighs moistened. She had it bad. How could one man, a stranger at that, fan her thoughts into flaming desire?

With use of her sight off limits, her hearing became overly sensitive. She listened to every sound. The rustling of his clothes and a long, drawn-out sigh, then scuffling as he moved to the side of the bed. She pushed herself higher against the headboard, anticipation growing heavy.

He didn’t touch her. She tucked her bottom lip between her teeth. “Hello?” She wished she could have hidden the eagerness in her voice. She didn’t want to come off as desperate; however, her body throbbed in yearning.

Silence.

She started to speak again, but the mattress lowered under his weight. Her body slid a few inches toward him across the slick material of the cover. She pushed herself back up, regaining her pose on the bed. Her breathing grew heavy in her ears. Her heart raced. Could he hear it?

Although she knew it was coming, she jerked when his fingers touched her ankle. She laughed at her involuntary reaction, but it fizzled. His touch seemed like a laser, sending rivulets of heated awareness up her leg and exploding like shards of glass into her loins.

A sigh fell from her lips before she could snatch it back. “Yes.” She clenched her hands at her sides.

Slowly, deftly, his palm trailed a frenzied path upward past her knee, and settled against her inner thigh. A shiver of need gripped her muscles.

The tip of her tongue slid out and moistened her lips on its own accord. She didn’t care that desire plagued her with physical signs of longing. All she knew was she wanted this man. Apprehension disappeared.

“Please,” she pleaded.

His hand, warm and large, relaxed against her stomach.

She squirmed, started to reach out to touch him, but he clutched her wrists with one hand and held them securely. She moaned. “I want to touch you.”

“No.” His voice came as a gruff whisper.